Blood Lust
by Stages of Twilight
Summary: Victoria is on the hunt. The Volturi are waiting. A ring is placed. The werewolves are ready. A certain human being by the name of Bella just can't stay out of trouble. Takes place after Twilight & New Moon
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: **This is my first fanfic ever, so don't expect anything amazing. But, I'll try my hardest to keep characters, well, in character. This will be from Bella's POV. I'll inform you if the story will change narrators at any point. Ah, and before you go to sue me, know this: the disclaimer will be located at the bottom of each chapter. _

I paced up and down the damp grass, a hand in my mouth. Biting my nails was a habit that I had dropped long ago, ever since I had met Edward. When I was around him, I had nothing to worry about. However, under the stress of preparation for the change, Victoria, the Volturi, Jacob and our marriage, I was sure to snap. I would have snapped, had it not been for the holder of the stone chest that I was just now being dragged into.

"Shh, Bella. Relax." Came Edward's velvety voice. I could feel his lips in my hair as he spoke. I immediately relaxed, in his stone grip. When I was in his arms, nothing could hurt me. No one and nothing would ever get to me, as long as I was with him. "Now, Bella, what's worrying you?" Though I thought that he knew perfectly well what was worrying me, I replied. "Well, first of all, there's the turning process. Of course, it's what I want, and all, but -" Edward cut me off by placing a slender finger over my mouth. I thought I heard him mutter something about wishing for death, before he said, "Bella, that's not to worry about. I would never hurt you." I snickered. As if that was my problem. "I have no doubts about you being fine. I guess... I don't know, really. I'm just a bit hectic, is all." And then, he pounced.

My lip trembled. Somehow, Edward had managed to pin me against a tree. His scent, his voice... _his eyes_ were all crumbling my walls. "Now, what was that you worried about?" I took in a deep breath, and it came out shaking. "Victoria. Volturi. Marriage." Edward hid a grin, but it was poorly disguised. "Why would you worry about Victoria?" I averted my gaze from his golden eyes, instead looking at the grass beneath me. "She could kill me." Which was very true. As Edward had stated a few times, I was very breakable. And at this moment, he chose to make my dazed condition so much worse. I felt marble lips trace the outline of my jaw. They stopped at the bottom of my ear. When they spoke, I could hear the musical whisper clearly. "Bella. I love you enough to be with you forever. Would I let that vampire hurt you?" I sighed. As always, he was right. "No." I gave in.

"But the Volturi can hurt me." I defended myself. Surely even the Cullens couldn't beat a coven of such powerful vampires. "Bella, be rational. Why would they have reason to hurt you, if I'm going to change you soon, anyways?" I grimaced. Even though this was reassuring, I hated how he was always right. "Marriage." I persisted. Anything could go wrong; Jasper could lose it, Victoria could crash the party, Jacob could interfere... I shuddered at the thought. Edward's arms tightened around me as I shivered. Now his lips traced mine, his cool breath blowing in my face as he spoke. "Bella, marriage is a good thing. It's declaring our love for each other. If anything happened I would be right there with you, as would my whole family. Now what do you worry about?" I felt his lips curve up into a smile. He smelled easy victory. "Jacob." That one word ruined the special moment. His right arm stayed entwined around my waist, but he pulled away his face from mine. I almost asked for him to come back. Having him so close wasn't an opportunity that I got very often.

"Bella, why do you worry about Jacob?" His voice was made up of raw jealousy. There was curiosity in it as well, but envy beat it by miles. I almost laughed. "Edward, stop being an idiot, firstly. No one could take me away from you. Nor Jacob, not time. Not ever." His expression seemed to ease, but clearly he was still tense. His eyes darkened, which showed me how much of a bad mood he was in. "And I happen to worry about him because he was my best friend when I was broken. I love him too, Edward. A heart can have more than one love, if not in the same way." I concluded, looking at Edward meaningfully. "And I don't want Jacob to hate me. I also don't want to get you in trouble when I change." Edward smiled, but it didn't touch his still dark eyes. "Bella, he'd understand if you wanted to be with me." I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? I don't think so." Edward ignored my statement, and continued. "Also, don't worry about us. You should never worry about us. Only worry about yourself. You're the vulnerable object here." I crossed my arms, pulling away from his hold. "Oh, really? I won't be the vulnerable object once I'm changed, however. And seeing how I'm going to be part of the family soon, I think it's very much in my business to worry about you!" I was frowning furiously by now, even though I knew very well that all my anger could be washed away with just one look from those beautiful topaz eyes.

Edward just sighed, and suddenly disappeared. I gaped, and felt tears coming. More from sadness than anger, this time. Where had he gone? Just as I was about to break out into sobs, two stone arms snaked around my waist. He was standing behind me, laughing softly. Now the tears began to flow, full force. Edward only kissed my head in apology. "Don't do that again." I warned. "I won't." Even though I couldn't see his face, I could hear the sincere smile in his voice. Even though he had only been gone for a few seconds, the moment reminded me so much of the day that Edward had left me. Too much of the day that he had left me.

Over the course of the next five minutes, Edward had washed away all my worries. I felt the way that I imagined a dog would feel, should it be on tranquilizer. "Now, Bella. Graduation is tomorrow. Alice wants to take you shopping for a dress. We shouldn't keep her waiting." I rolled my eyes. Dress-Up Barbie it was, then. I knew that eventually Edward would resort to dragging me into his Volvo, but I tried, nonetheless. "Please, Edward. I hate you spending money on me. I have nothing else to give." Unconsciously, his arms tightened around my waist. "Bella, you have everything to give me." I tried to look sulky, but I got into the passenger seat of Edward's Volvo without much of a fight. I figured it would be easier to just do as he said, and pay Alice back later.

In a frighteningly short amount of time, we were parked in the driveway of Edward's mansion. I caught my breath in admiration. The perfection of Esme's house never failed to impress me. "So, where is she?" Edward didn't have to answer, for in seconds, Alice was standing in front of me. Actually, she was hardly standing still. For lack of a better work, she was _popping_. The movement reminded me of the popcorn that I had been munching on, just yesterday. "Commme onnn, Bellllaaa!" Her speech was hiccuped by her small hops of joy. I frowned, and turned to Edward for help. He only smiled mockingly. I scowled in response. Alice lifted me, and sat me quickly into the passenger seat of a black Mercedes. "We'll be taking Carlisle's car." I nodded. It really didn't matter to me which of the Cullen cars we took. They were all virtually alike; all slick, quiet, and they were all so _fast_.

Suddenly, our car halted. I found myself staring at the big red letters of a French store. "Which store is this, Alice?" My voice was quiet, afraid. The huge, glass windows displayed designer gowns, all of which priced at what seemed to me a ridiculously high price. "I dunno," Alice replied with wonder in her voice. "I just stopped at the most expensive place I could find." She grinned, while I let my jaw drop. The inside was even more intimidating that the outside. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, and hundreds of beautiful dresses were displayed up and down tens of aisles. I fell back slightly, and Alice's cool hand was there to touch my back in a very reassuring manner. While I stood, Alice tugged me lightly along. Her hands hovered on one dress for a moment longer than they did on the other. Finally, she pulled it out of a rack. "Try this one on, Bella! It'd look great on you." Alice was excited now, her grin too wide for her petite face. I agreed silently, and allowed myself to be pushed into a dressing room that was located nearby. For the first time, I looked at the garment that Alice had selected for me. It was a dark red color. It ruffled at the bottom, as it did near each shoulder. The gown was accompanied with a sash, that was the same color. In all, it was a plain but elegant piece that would most probably fit me perfectly.

"Come out, Bella!" Alice whined. I nodded, though I knew that she couldn't see me yet. Adjusting the sash, I took a deep breath, followed by a step of the foot. That was all that was needed to send Alice into a fit of excited squeals. I rolled my eyes at the ceiling. "Bella, it looks perfect on you!" I smiled weakly. "Look, look in the mirror!" Alice stepped aside, revealing my reflection. Despite my dislike for shopping and expensive things, my mouth dropped open. The dark shade of red complimented my pale skin very nicely, as did the sash that was draped across my shoulder. I thought I could almost pass off as a vampire, if I had to. Almost. Alice bit her bottom lip in anticipation. "Do you like it?" I nodded, my jaw still hanging. I made no effort to shut my mouth again. Due to Alice's sharp eyes – and quite a bit of an amount of hurrying – we managed to make it out of the store with a necklace, shoes, and the dress. At the end, I only had one thing to say. "Alice, do you promise to do something for me?" She seemed taken aback, but did agree. "Anything, Bella. You're family, now." I nodded, pleased. "Alice, please, don't _ever_ tell me how much money you spent on me today."

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own any Twilight material. Stephenie Meyer does. Though, if it should happen that a made-up character comes into the story, then they are mine. _


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: **In advanced, I'd like to apologize for the seemingly slow pace of the story. I promise that after the graduation (next chapter) things will pick up. Ah, and sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I couldn't make it include graduation, or it would be much too long. So, it was a separate little piece. Enjoy. And if you really do enjoy this (which I hope you do) then take a moment to review, please. Reviews make me update so much faster. Possibly in a day or two, if I really get into it._

When Alice and I pulled into the driveway of the Cullen mansion, we were faced with a giddy Edward. I raised an eyebrow, not quite sure why he seemed so happy. While Alice carried in my bag, I asked cautiously, "Edward? Why are you so happy?" I'm sure I sounded very much like an idiot at that moment, asking why my vampire boyfriend had a huge smile on his face, but he didn't seem offended. "Well," he began, with a rare twinkling in his voice. "While you and Alice were shopping, I decided to do some shopping of my own. I just can't wait to see the look on your face." He grinned, and I rolled my eyes. Apparently he liked the fact that whenever he dressed in anything higher than a level of casual, I began to hyperventilate. "Haha," I droned monotonously. Edward just grinned, and pushed me gently into his Volvo. "Where are we going?" I asked, surprised. He looked at me with the same stuck expression. "What do you mean, where are we going?" He paused to stare at me. "We're going home. To your house, I mean." Edward pointed meaningfully to his watch. It's already 8:00. The human needs sleep. We wouldn't want you to be tired for graduation tomorrow, would we?" He teased. I stuck out my tongue briefly. A thought ran through my head. "And where would you be at night?" I raised an eyebrow, staring into his darkening eyes. Immediately his mood changed, and his eyes narrowed. "I'll stay with you until you're asleep." He revved up the engine and kept his eyes on the road. I smirked. He underestimated my knowledge of him. "And...?" I trailed off, motioning for him finish my sentence. "I'll be hunting." He bit out, obviously unhappy. I just smiled back.

The duration of the ride was quiet from spoken words. I had managed to stuff a Debussy CD into its slot, but that was all. But, then again, there wasn't much time to say anything. It was then that I made a private promise to Edward, and to myself. I would insist, until not even a vampire could make me budge, that we drive in my truck. It would make me feel as if I was helping to calm Edward's maniac driving. I smiled inwardly. Caught in thoughts, I didn't feel the first time that a strong hand tugged on my elbow. "Come on, Bella." Edward's voice was soothing, calm. I felt a blush creeping up my throat, though I had no reason to be embarrassed. Even through the now pouring rain, I could see that he was hiding a smile. I shot him the most menacing glance I could, and then I realized that it must pose no fear at all, coming from a human. Another blush. Edward chuckled softly, and lightly lay a hand on my cheek. The cool touch felt relieving on my burning skin. "My new favorite color..." he murmured silently. I only looked down at my shoes as Edward proceeded to lead me to my front door. I fumbled with my keys for a moment, before I got them in the correct hole. "Bella? Is that you?" I grimaced. Would he ask me that every time I walked through this door? "Yeah, dad!" I called back. In a short moment I felt Edward's iron grasp around my waist disappeared, along with the rest of him. "Edward." I hissed, but there was no sign of him. I had told him specifically _not_ to disappear inconveniently like said moment, but of course, he hadn't listened. We would talk again.

"I'm going to bed, Charlie!" I informed him; no graduation parties, or such. He seemed convinced enough. I could only hope that he wouldn't check on me while Edward was with me. I can only imagine how he would kill Edward if he found out how I fell asleep in his cold arms each night. I trudged up the stairs, not surprised when Edward was sitting in my rocking chair his arms out held, reaching for me. But just because I was not surprised, didn't mean that my heart didn't send flutters through my body. I bit my bottom lip. I'm sure that I looked horrible, and that I needed to brush my teeth and get ready, but this invitation was almost impossible to resist. "Human minute?" He smiled, and nodded. By now he knew what I meant. I rushed to the bathroom, almost forgetting to grab my PJs on the way there. I rushed through the brushing of my teeth, as I did most nights, nowadays. I yanked my brush through my hair, leaving most of the task up to the morning. I ran back to my room – mentally thanking an above power that I didn't trip – and into Edward's waiting arms. He laughed, and stroked my hair. He bent down to close his eyes and take in a deep breath through his nose. "I smell good?" I asked, though he had told me so many times that I did. "Unbelievably so." He mumbled, obviously absorbed. "I don't want to sleep." This wasn't completely true. My eyelids were drooping, and I yawned involuntarily. More specifically, I didn't want him to leave.

Moments after I yawned, I was in my bed, a pair of stone arms wrapped around me. "I said I don't want to sleep." I mumbled, but it came out as garbled mush. "The bed isn't helping." Again, I yawned. Edward's arms tightened around me. Though I was practically unconscious already, I couldn't sleep right without one thing. I flipped over in his grasp, and tilted my head. Edward got the message. Though with the lightest of pressure, he pressed his marble lips to mine. Again, the indescribable feeling that I always got when I was with Edward rushed full force through my veins. Love in its rawest form. I was still, and didn't cross any of the lines that we had agreed on. Though the desire to crush myself against his body was strong, the need to behave was mightier. When he pulled away, I pouted. The end of a kiss was no good until I absolutely _needed_ to breathe. "Now, my angel, you sleep." He smiled, and I shut my eyes. I hadn't bothered to turn over; I actually found the blow of his cool breath in my face quite relaxing. I hid my face into my pillow, and wormed my way until every line of his body was against his. Then, everything was perfect. Not a worry in the world. Edward's cold arms around me. A last kiss. Darkness enveloped me.

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own any Twilight material. Stephenie Meyer does. Though, if it should happen that a made-up character comes into the story, then they are mine. _


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: **Yes, first day, and the 3rd chapter is up. Trust me when I say that in the 4th chapter, there will be action involved. I just couldn't miss the graduation, for who knows what reasons. xD Ah, and as much as I like you thinking this, I must admit that I'm not some super-fast typer. The only reason that I have 3 chapters up on the first day is because during the 3 day waiting period I had been typing. So please, review. (: _

I revved my truck one last time; I had refused to ride in the Volvo that I had come to know and respect today. I thought that I should at least have the privilege of riding my favorite car as a high school student, one last time. However, Edward wasn't ready to let me drive alone. He was still stubborn as ever, and insisted that he should be with me, just in case I decided to crash and kill myself. I tried to tell him how I never crashed before I met him, but he only raised a hand and ignored me. And so, with me in the driver's seat for once, Edward sat next to me. He was fiddling with something in his hands. This was one moment where I especially wished I was a vampire. My being human prevented me from peeking to see what the rectangular object was. When I simply couldn't do a thing, I frowned and put on my best sulky face. "Edward, what is that?" He seemed completely oblivious to my unhappy expression. "You'll know soon enough." I stitched together my brows. He knew perfectly well my dislike towards surprises. As if he could read my mind – which I was glad to know he couldn't – Edward laughed. The sound was music to my ears. I was ready to begin hyperventilating, as I realized who was sitting next to me. Lately, I had been very undeserving of Edward. Actually, I had always been unworthy of his perfection. And yet, here he sat. My angel. My love. My forever. The car swerved violently as I began to take in long, shallow breaths. Edward immediately dropped whatever he had in his hands and bent over to take hold of the wheel. A string of profanities spilled from his mouth. "Dammit, Bella!" He was now trying to push my truck at a brutally fast speed – not to mention a speed that was over 50. "Stop." I breathed. My fit had subsided, and now I was only wishing for my control of the car back. Edward took once glance at my face, and reluctantly handed the control of the car back to me. "I'm just excited," I lied. He grimaced and went silent.

Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmet had beat us to the graduation. It was to be held in the courtyard of Forks High; we could all only trust that the weatherman had been right about no rain. Of course, the sun was still hidden securely behind a forest of clouds. No danger for the Cullen family. Alice was jumping up and down. She was dressed in a striking midnight blue dress. It was strapless, with a golden ribbon tied around her waist. It was perfect on her petite figure; as if it was made for her. If Alice knew anything, it was how to shop. Rosalie was even more beautiful, in her canary yellow gown. It was tight, more revealing of her figure than anything I would have ever worn. All in all, she looked magnificent. Jasper and Emmet were dressed in dark black tuxes, the contrast between their skin amazing. I gaped, embarrassed. I would be the only one that didn't seem simply gorgeous. Alice hurried me into a bathroom, where I would change into my gown. I only stayed with the rest of the Cullen family long enough to see Edward being rushed off into some other direction, by a very excited Emmet. Alice was silent. All she did was stuff a huge bag into my arms. I shot a wary glance in her direction; I had a feeling that she had stuffed more in the bag than what I had agreed on. In moments, I was in a stall, changing into my dark red garment. I heard an impatient tapping of Alice's shoe. As I had suspected, there was more than just clothes in the large white bag. A pile of cosmetics lay on the bottom, waiting to be applied. Alice would need to do that. I was horrible with anything that involved any amount of hand eye coordination.

Alice shoved me almost too roughly out into the courtyard. In the distance I could see a girl and three teenage boys standing. Edward was among them. I swallowed a large nervous ball that had grown in my throat. "Alice, I honestly can't go." My voice was raspy, and low. A tinkling laugh sounded. "Nonsense! You look amazing." She sounded so enthusiastic that I almost believed her. Soon – after my share of vampire speed running – I was standing only a foot away from Edward. I felt my jaw drop. The person - vampire, actually, if you were being technical – that stood in front of me was unbelievably gorgeous. Even Rosalie's beauty seemed dimmed, compared to his beauty. Or perhaps I was biased, because I happened to be madly in love with this hundred year old vampire. Either way, he was enough to make me want to cry my eyes out. Not because he was so much better looking than me, but because he loved me. This amazing creature should find someone who's much, much more wonderful than I am. His dark blue tux was stunning. The contrast between his pale skin and the deep fabric emphasized his perfection, as did the dark red rose that stuck its bud out of a pocket. "Wow." I stared at him, racking out every detail of his costume yet again. He mimicked my movements exactly. His jaw was hanging, his hand hovering an inch above my skin, longing. "Wow..." was all I could say, again. For a second, I snapped out of my trance to see how others reacted to Edward's beauty. Of course, none of them seemed miffed. Rosalie, quite on the contrary, seemed ready to barf. "Bella," he breathed, an unbearably sweet scent blowing in my direction. "You look _amazing_." I laughed, and threw my arms around his neck. "You look more wonderful." I admitted. And it was true. He only shook his head before pressing his lips to mine.

My hand was in Edward's, a place that I never wanted to be torn from in my life. Esme and Carlisle had greeted me with warm, parental congratulations, as did Charlie and Renee. I was happy to see that the two Cullen parents had taken me in as their own so fully. Jasper, Emmet, Alice and Edward refused to accept my congratulations when I offered them, and yet they offered their own. They just said that they'd be here again in a few years, and that I should focus on myself. Like I could do that, with seven gorgeous vampires hanging around. But of course, I'd be crowded with tens of Cullens, if I had to. They were my family now, just as much as Charlie and Renee were. I was snapped out of my thoughts by a silky voice. I didn't have to look to see who it was. "Come on, Bella." Edward's hushed voice came. I could hear it clearly over the dying chatter of students, due to the fact that his lips were speaking against my ear. "They're starting. Let's find seats." I swallowed and nodded, allowing Edward's strong hand to lead me through the crowd. I clapped mildly when students were called up, but I let it all out when the Cullen family began to graduate. "Cullen, Alice, please come to the stage!" The principal shouted, a bit louder than necessary. I stood, and clapped my hands wildly while screaming. Several teens had turned to look at me, and I sat down, embarrassed. Then, Edward was called to the stage. "Cullen, Edward, please come to the stage!" By the end of my clapping and screaming, my throat hurt. I sat sheepishly and clapped at a normal volume for the rest of the Cullen family. I couldn't shout if I had wanted to.

"Swan, Isabella, come to the stage!" I felt my face turn tomato red as all the heads in the courtyard turned to follow me. _Please, please don't let me fall... _I prayed inwardly. Just now did I notice how much of a safety hazard my dress was. I had never actually tried walking in it before. Of course, while making an attempt at running dramatically to the stage, I tripped. And I didn't just trip over a rock, or a lone tree root. I tripped over air. My own feet. Whatever it was that I could trip over, I didn't trip over it. I had fallen because of nothing. My face now resembled a beet, I was sure. I scrambled to my feet hastily, not bothering to clean off dirt that was probably lingering on my gown. My stiletto heels clicked as I walked up the stage, to the principal. She handed me a neatly rolled up paper, and I grinned hugely while thrusting it into the air. Applause burst out in the crowd; I could see the Cullen family standing and clapping wildly, even from this distance. Even Rosalie was on her feet. Edward hugged me tightly as I redeemed my seat next to him. "Congratulations," he whispered. I smiled, and for a brief moment I turned to nod quickly at my parents, who were shooting me huge grins. I grinned back, and averted my full attention back to Edward. "Thank you?" It was times like this that I wished I could be more assertive; that my statements didn't come out as questions. He chuckled, and bent his head to kiss me. I had grown good at this; then again, I never did fail to remember what I had just done later in the day, and begin to hyperventilate.

I was about ready to go home. Perhaps hang around with the Cullens, with Edward, or just spent some me time. Though I doubted that the latter was an option. I gathered my things – which were very minimal, just my diploma – when I was interrupted by a light touch on my shoulder, and a most unwanted voice. I turned around to face an excited Mike Newton, his eyes gleaming. Edward stiffened next to me, and I shot him a warning glance. Though I had nothing for Mike, the idea of my boyfriend – and soon to be husband – slaughtering him wasn't something that I looked forward to hearing. Edward continued to growl, and his clenched jaw did now relax as Mike smirked. His eyes wandered back to me again. "Bella, you're looking very nice today." He complimented, and raised his eyebrows. I felt Edward tighten his grip on me considerably. "Well, a group of friends of mine was wondering if you'd like to come to a graduation party that we're having it's at my place. Starts at 8:30." He glared at Edward before adding, "Oh, and we only have so much amount of space. So, you're going to have to be the last person to come." He smiled what I think was supposed to be an apologetic smile. It looked nothing like one. "Sorry, Mike, but I'm going to have to refuse that offer." I frowned. I'd rather spend time with Edward than with Mike, any day. We turned and walked away, and I couldn't help but notice the smug smile on Edward's face.

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own any Twilight material. Stephenie Meyer does. Though, if it should happen that a made-up character comes into the story, then they are mine. _


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: **I'm reminding you to review, again. But I'm also thanking those of you who have reviewed. There aren't many, but still, you have my greatest thanks. Reviews keep me motivated, as I've said many times before. Yayeth. Well, hopefully you'll find that this chapter makes up for lack of action in my last ones. Sit back and relax._

The next morning I was much too tired. My head was spinning, and my muscles ached. Thank God that I didn't have another graduation until... no, wait. I still forgot often that after Edward and I were married, I would be turned into one of them. I would be a Cullen, and this time, I wouldn't just be an insignificant human who was stuffed into a crack. I would be a _real_ Cullen, truly a vampire. Just the thought made me slightly happier, and make my head spin a bit less. That is, until Edward showed up suddenly. He sat cross-legged on my left side, a small smile on his lips. The room twirled uncontrollably around me instantly. He sensed my condition, and I think he frowned. I couldn't really be sure, though, since everything was upside down, and left and... I groaned. Today was not my day. "Bella, what's wrong?" Concern layered his voice. "Nothing, I don't think." I was lying, and nobody, even less Edward, would believe me. "Well, I guess my head hurts. A little." Now Edward's face was upside down. "A lot." My strained, but still unbelievably beautiful lullaby filled the air. My accelerated heart stopped beating madly, and acted somewhat normal. My eyes were being good to me now, and showed me what was truly there. My wound up muscles relaxed themselves. It was amazing what Edward's voice could do to a person. "Better now?" his whisper was in my ear. I nodded feebly, and made my mouth move. "I need a human moment." I would have stayed in this spot with him forever, but I was sure that my morning breath wasn't pleasant for him.

I coughed. A flake of cereal had made its way down the wrong bit of my throat. Edward was sitting next to me, his eyes absent as they fixed themselves on my bowl. "What are you thinking about?" I asked. Sometimes it was just as frustrating for me to not know what he was thinking as it was for him. "Hunting. I forgot to tell you. Me, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmet will be going today. Call Esme or Carlisle if you need any help. They're both at home, now. Think you can manage to stay out of trouble for an hour or so?" I scowled, but nodded. He was genuinely worried about my safety, or course. Still, I would only be at home. "What could possibly happen to me?" I shook my head. A lot. I rephrased; "I'll just be reading, or drawing, or something. No danger there, right?" He nodded, convinced for now. "When are you going?" I wanted to spend as much time with him today as possible. "Oh, soon." He looked guilty, for some reason. I could only guess it was for going at such short notice. This theory was changed very shortly, when my doorbell rang. "Now." I smiled in encouragement. I had noticed that Edward's eyes were nearly black; being around me was hard enough without that.

The next ten minutes were dreadful, as they always were when Edward was away hunting. I would draw sometimes, and often I would read a new book that I had managed to get my hands on. But today, something was different. I didn't have to be a vampire to sense that something was off. Just plain wrong. So instead of burying myself in a book, or sketching a never perfect drawing of Edward, I decided to take a walk. This Saturday was unusually clear. Not enough sun to display the diamond skin of a vampire, but just enough to make me content. My hands were buried in the pockets of a black jacket that I had thrown on before leaving the house. _Crack._ My head snapped in the direction of the sound. I found myself staring intently at a large bush, speckled with over-ripe berries of sorts. It must have been a rabbit, I told myself. I had no idea where I was going, but my feet kept walking. _Crack. _A hyperactive rabbit, apparently. Now I found myself entering the woods, in the direction of our meadow. The meadow where Edward and I had declared our love for each other.

I took in a deep breath through my nose, in between my fingers a strand of grass. I lay in the middle of the meadow, admiring its beauty. Edward and I had been here many times, and so I learned the path. This is where I often read while he was hunting, though he didn't know that. I was sure that he'd chain me to my bed if he found out I was alone in the woods. As always, a thin – but much appreciated – slate of sunlight lingered in the air. My eyes closed, and I felt myself drift into a light sleep, when I was interrupted by a nasal laugh. I shot up into a sitting position, my head spinning slightly from the sudden awakening. My eyes scanned the area. Tree, tree, tree, oh! No, tree, tree, tree, vampire, tree, tre- I gaped, and caught my breath in horror. There, in the shadows, but still definite, stood a vampire. Usually I would have assumed it was just Edward or Alice, trying to scare me a bit. But no, I knew better right now. I wasn't even scared – I was absolutely horrified. I was more afraid than when James had caught me. Perhaps that was because if I died, I would have had a proper good-bye. I was more afraid than when I was four, and lost my way in the airport. At least that wasn't a life or death situation. I hoped so desperately for a Cullen to be standing there. For all this fear to go away, to be replaced by familiar arms. But no. I knew that there was no Cullen to save me this time. The red hair gave it away.

My heart was pounding. My breathing was excessive. My body was completely still. Victoria crept out of the protective veil of shadows. A mild amount of sunlight fell onto her pale skin, and send a slight sparkle through her body. I almost said something. She didn't deserve to be a vampire. She wasn't worthy of even resembling Edward in the slightest. Of course, Victoria still held her catlike stroll. Each step she took sent a tremor down my spine. "Well, little Bella. Where is your boyfriend, now?" I scowled, despite myself. Only fear had held me still before. If I were to die, I would do it with a fight. Even if that fight was undeniably pointless. Never had the thought of screaming for Carlisle or Esme come to mind. Even if they could hear me, I wouldn't want them to be harmed because of me. I had already endangered them enough in the past. "Not here, is he?" Victoria smacked her lips thoughtfully, and for the first time I noticed that her eyes were a solid black. Apparently she noticed what I was looking at, for she said, "Yes, young human. I have been keeping myself hungry for you." I wrinkled my nose. Was this a good thing, or a bad thing? I decided that it was a good thing. It almost guaranteed a quick death. "What an honor," the sarcasm was evident in my tone. With a last, creeping smile, Victoria crouched. She licked her lips, and pounced. I didn't even get a chance to scream.

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own any Twilight material. Stephenie Meyer does. Though, if it should happen that a made-up character comes into the story, then they are mine. _


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note: **Thank you for the reviews, even if there are only a few, so far. They helped me get off my lazy butt and write something. Especially one reviewer, who mentioned how mean my cliffhanger was. I must agree, and so, as promised, guilt has worked its magic. Be warned, though, I was a bit sleepy while writing this chapter, so it may seem dragged, uneventful, whatever. Ah, and this chapter will seem... bad, for lack of a better word. But I needed some way to set this up. You'll know what I mean, hopefully soon. (: Many apologies. _

I lay there, with my eyes closed. At least, I thought my eyes were closed, because I saw nothing but black. I didn't sense anything, at all. I did not suffer from the pains that should be over my body, I did not taste the blood that I thought would be dripping over my body. I didn't hear the steady intake of oxygen that I should be getting, and I didn't hear anything at all. And yet, I wasn't bored, or discontent, for some reason. Maybe that is what heaven is like. Not bushy clouds or smiling angels. Maybe heaven is just... this. Not a thing that might displease you. It's _nothing_, but it keeps you happy. What a convenient way to rid of all the dead souls that are sent up here, expecting so much. But then, I decided that it couldn't have been heaven. Because, just then, I felt a moaning pain in my arm. It was growing quickly, but it never did reach the altitude of the bite that I had received from James. That injury had been pure fire in my veins, destroying everything that I was. But no, this pain was quite mellow in comparison. A broken bone...? I didn't have enough time to analyze the situation, because in moments the rest of the world – which I was content to find I was still quite alive in – caught up with me. Sounds filled my ears, and feelings soared through my body. I think I had felt a gash in my cheek, and a few severe cuts were scattered throughout my body, but my arm was the worst of all. I wasn't very bad. I stopped worrying about my own health and strained myself to hear anything that I could. My ears could only pick up on a few words. "... you think ... yeah, she breathing ... no, no, that won't do ... Bella!" I fought to open my eyes at the mention of my name. It was very frustrating – I thought they were open, but all that presented itself to me was black. I sighed harshly, hoping that my savior would hear me. They did. A warm, almost hot hand fluttered over my face, and a voice kept muttering my name. Yes! Yes! I wanted so desperately to call, to be dragged out of this place of darkness.

It took what seemed like hours for my body to recover fully, but I got my wish. My eyes fluttered open, expecting to see the perfected face of my soon to be husband staring down at me. But no, I was sadly disappointed. Instead, a familiar, tanned boy looked down at me. His deep eyes were filled with concern, while an old man stared down at me as well. I sighed, and asked the first thing that came to mind. "What happened?" Jacob smiled, clearly glad to see me forming coherent sentences. But as he took my question into consideration, his face crinkled up, caught in thought. "I don't know, exactly," he answered slowly. "I just... I saw you leave your house, and so I followed you. I saw Victoria..." he pressed his lips together. I could figure out the rest. "But I don't know how she got here, or anything. My pack and I, we didn't even know she was here." He shook his head and smacked a fist on a table, obviously as frustrated as I was. I tried to sit up, but a gentle arm pushed me back down into what I now realized was couch. This time it was Billy who spoke. "Your boyfriend -" both he and Jacob scowled at the word. "- is looking for you. Sam has went out to check on him." I moaned. There was no way to know what sort of trouble Edward could get into with a werewolf around him. "I should call him," I offered. Billy considered this for a moment, and nodded, reluctantly. "Fine. Jacob, get her a phone. She's in no proper condition to be walking." Jacob stayed still. "No. I don't want her seeing him." I rolled my eyes, but stayed still. It was true that my broken arm, which I now noticed was laying in a sling, prevented me from doing much movement. "Jacob, neither do I -" It was obvious that Billy wasn't trying to hide his dislike towards my soon to be husband at all. "But we don't want him on the reservation, and it doesn't seem as if these two can be parted for any more than a day. We're lucky that they haven't already come looking." Jacob shot Billy his must furious expression, but did as he was told. He returned shortly, a grim expression on his face. I returned the look, and grabbed the phone from his waiting hand. It was already ringing. "Hello?" I recognized Carlisle's tired voice immediately. "Hi, Carlisle, it's Bella." I rushed. Just now did I notice how much raspier my voice sounded than usual. "Bella!" I heard some background speak while Carlisle spread the news. "Bella," his voice was urgent, now. "Edward tried tracking your scent, but he only went as far as the meadow. Then it... changed." I thought I knew what Carlisle meant. Jacob had most probably carried me to the reservation, after all. "I'm at the reservation, Carlisle. Jacob saved me from Victoria. She tried to kill me." This time, the doctor's voice was calm. "We know that part, Bella. We need you to come back to our house as soon as you can. I'll be waiting just outside of the reservation," Carlisle promised before he hung up. Jacob had been scowling the whole time I was on the phone. "Jake, will you get me to Carlisle?" My request sounded dumb, even to my own ears. Asking a werewolf to carry me to a vampire.

Jacob had agreed to carry me to Carlisle, but not before he had a brief chat with me. It included all the reasons why I _shouldn't_ marry Edward. Of course, the conversation also mentioned why I couldn't be turned into a vampire, but it seemed to me that Jacob thought our marriage was the more important matter. I had brushed him off coldly, and assured him that I loved Edward dearly. The werewolf had shaken his head, and shot me a most disturbing look. I couldn't get his disappointed eyes out of my head as we drove down the dark streets to the Cullen mansion. I must have been knocked out for a while; the car's bright green lights read 8:56. Charlie must be worried about me, I thought vaguely. Carlisle seemed to have borrowed Edward's talent for a moment, for he assured me that Charlie had a perfectly believable excuse for why I wasn't home yet. "Don't worry about Charlie now, Bella. We told him that you and Alice were out shopping." I snickered; by now, Charlie completely trusted and knew Alice. Well, he knew enough to know that she was a shopping maniac. I grinned – excuses didn't get much more believable than that. Within moments – I noticed that Carlisle was driving faster than usual, which frightened me quite a bit – we were out of the car, and Edward immediately at my side. His jaw was clenched tightly, and I was sure that it wasn't my smell that he was resisting this time. "If he hurt you..." Edward trailed of suggestively. Of course, all he could associate with Jacob was pain. I pursed my lips and tried to cross my arms over my chest, when I was quite painfully reminded of the sling that still hung there. "He did hurt you!" Edward growled, and I could hardly understand him over the violent ripping noises that were tearing from somewhere deep inside his chest. "No," I felt the need to shout, though I knew that even if I whispered Edward would hear me very clearly. "Victoria broke my arm. But she's gone, now." Out of the corner of my eye I could see Carlisle shaking his head in disapproval. I also thought I heard him mutter something about my arm being taken care of wrongly. At my words Edward furrowed his brow, disturbing the marble surface of his skin. "No, the dog just took her out. Not killed her." I felt my jaw drop. I had assumed that Jacob had gotten rid of Victoria, once and for all. "No." My voice shook violently, much to my embarrassment. "He killed her." Though I didn't believe my own words, I hoped desperately for Edward to be mistaken. Just this one time. "Sadly not. Just stopped her momentarily." I was on the verge of crying, and rather rudely, I spat, "Well, how would you know?" Edward's lips twitched up slightly at this. "Alice saw you with Victoria, again. It was too blurry to see where. After you were 'saved'. Never bet against Alice." Then all traces of humor were gone. "I shouldn't have left you, Bella. I knew something would go wrong. But now I won't leave your side, ever. Not for a minute." He blamed everything on himself, always. "Because she's still out there. Somewhere, and her only goal is to get to _you_." A shiver ran down my spine. "But I'll stay with you, all night, and all day." Despite the situation, I grinned. Never leaving my side sounded like a good plan.

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own any Twilight material. Stephenie Meyer does. Though, if it should happen that a made-up character comes into the story, then they are mine. _


	6. Author's Note

Ahh, I'm so sorry. I couldn't update for personal reasons, but I'm back now. (: I'm trying desperately to finish the next chapter, and I'm going to try to get ahead on the seventh. Again, sorry if I made you think that this was an update. I just didn't want you all to think that I died, or something. As for the Reader's Digest version of this sorry excuse of an entry: I'll be updating soon. Just hold on tight.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note: **Woo, new chapter up. Be proud of me. But, it's very, very short. Sorry about that. See, I was going to type more, but I couldn't resist the cliffhanger. :D _

As with all good things, Edward's plan had just one flaw. Even though his love for me was overwhelming – at least, he assured me that this was true – thirst is a part of being half dead that you just can't avoid. And so, his plan was restated as this: he, Alice, Emmet, or Esme will be at my side at all times. Rosalie was deemed too likely to leave me, Jasper was put off for fear of lack of control, and Carlisle had an obligation to the hospital. It would cause unwanted and possibly exposing attention to the Cullen family if the doctor were to quit his job, just to hang around me. Of course, though I held all of my new family members close to my heart, I preferred Edward's presence over all other. And so, as Edward leaned in to press his lips to mine, and my heart accelerated to what was almost a supernatural rate, I was more than content. I was also utterly confused, as I always was when around my beloved. And yet, through my daze, a lone question tugged at my mind. I asked what I had failed to notice before. Of course, I got the most out of our controlled embrace before speaking. "Edward, that night, the one before graduation, where were you, really?" A few emotions took their turn on Edward's face. First confusion, then shock, pain, followed by sadness, then evolving into a controlled mask of nothingness. Though, I knew Edward too well; I saw through his composed face, deep into the feelings that played with his dead, but still prized heart. "What do you mean?" His eyes grew wide with a bit too much innocence, but his lips remained serious and pursed. I sighed, exaggerating my exasperated gesture. "You know perfectly well what I mean. You said you were going to go hunting, but the next morning, you went again. So, you didn't go hunting the night before. Right?" It had been a while since Edward kept anything from me. This is a change that I was going to prevent.

Edward was good at keeping a secret. Or keeping his mouth shut. Or being stubborn. Whatever you wanted to call it, he did it very well. It became apparent that this something was one of those cases where knowing less made it easier to be brave. Nonetheless, I wanted to know. This is why I chose my petite, yet so much more superior sister as my target. When it was Alice's turn to act as my personal guard, Edward planted a last kiss on the crown of my head. Perhaps this was to daze me enough to distract me from the glance that the two vampires exchanged. Their two expressions were very different, however. Edward's face carried a look of tiredness, and pleading. Alice on the other hand, though I knew her as well as a biological sister, I couldn't read clearly. Though, I could make out determination in her steady gaze. Yes, determination was clearly there. As soon as my ears picked up on the nearly inaudible click of the door shutting, I didn't hesitate to begin the questioning. "Alice, what was Edward doing that night, before graduation?" I was being blunt on the matter; after all, prolonging the conversation didn't get answers. I learned that well enough with Edward. To my surprise, Alice's expression didn't change at all. Though, I did think that I saw a small smile play along her lips. Or perhaps that was just wishful thinking on my part. Two firm hands were gripping my shoulders now. Two deep, intelligent eyes bore holes in my head. I cocked my head, waiting. "Bella," Alice's voice was wary, as if she had been thinking very deeply. "I don't know. It'd be better…" A struggle for words was evident. "Bella, I don't want to hurt you." Alice's eyes were pained, obvious conflict raging within. Her promise to Edward and her brain were pulling her in opposite directions. "Fine, Bella. But you should sit down." I complied gladly, and sat very still as Alice told me something that I hoped never to hear; anything that came between me, Edward, and eternity.

**_Disclaimer: _**_I lost it. D: It'll be mad with me once it finds out that I haven't used him. Eep. But for now, take my word for it: I do not own any Twilight material. I only mixed in my own ideas._**  
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